McCartney’s 1973 classic is a post-Beatles favorite for its title cut (a #1 U.S. single) and rockin’ singles “Jet” and “Helen Wheels.” The new mixes are a departure from that condensed analog sound of the ’70s, where pop, rock, and soul would blast from AM radio as a single sheet of sound.

These versions cleanly delineate each instrument, making for a more-spacious audio experience; not necessarily better, but certainly unique. On “Band on the Run,” you can hear the minute details from the electrics and acoustics of McCartney and the late Denny Laine. The fierce rhythm guitar and faux-reggae chops of “Jet,” no surprise, are the stuff of legend – it’s arguably the greatest Wings single of all time.

This remaster further entices us via “underdubbed” mixes, without the studio orchestral elements; they’re less ornate and drier than the album versions. Yet dig Paul’s punchy bass on the mostly instrumental – and perhaps superior – version of “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five.” Its feisty guitar solo now takes on a starring role amidst fat synthesizer thumps.

As a reissue, this 50th-anniversary set isn’t essential, but clearly worthy for the remixes. Fifty years on, Wings remains a brief, wondrous concoction of ’70s pop rock.

This article originally appeared in VG’s April 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.